How to sell your home: your guide to a successful move
Buying a new home is an exciting process – but if you're already a homeowner, you'll likely need to deal with selling your existing property before completing on the new one.
We've dealt with thousands of buyers who are in the process of selling a home to move into their dream Redrow neighbourhood, so we've learnt a thing or two about the best ways to complete a sale.
This guide will help you navigate selling your home to buy a new one with Redrow, including top tips, advice and our exclusive initiatives like Help to Sell and Part Exchange.
Selling your home to buy a new one
Today’s property market is placing a greater emphasis on energy efficiency than ever before. With the introduction of the government's Future Homes Standard, all new homes are now required to be ‘zero carbon ready’, producing 75-80% lower CO2 emissions than older properties. This shift has made buyers increasingly aware of the running costs and environmental impact of their homes.
This presents a fantastic opportunity. By selling your current property, you can move into a brand new, highly efficient home that meets these modern standards.
At Redrow, our homes are designed with a ‘fabric-first’ approach, incorporating features like superior insulation and air-source heat pumps, meaning they typically achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of B as standard. This not only saves you money on bills but also makes your new home a more attractive long-term asset.
Prepare your property for sale
First things first, you'll want to get maximum value for the house you're selling. To do this, make sure it's in tip-top condition, especially if you're selling a property online.
Alysha Ali, from Redrow's interior design team, says that there are lots of small additions that can make a difference "Little extras that can make a big difference include adding a large mirror to bounce light around a small space and make it look bigger and brighter. It's a particularly welcome feature in a hallway."
Jon Bryan, a valuations manager for home sale specialists Property Perspective, has some helpful advice: "Internet portals like Rightmove, Zoopla, etc., are simply like a dating website for properties and buyers. You only have a few seconds to secure a potential buyer's interest before they 'swipe left' and move on to the next property."
More top tips for selling your home
- Declutter and tidy up – no one wants to see rooms with too much furniture or overloaded with belongings.
- Tidy the garden – cut the lawn, wash the deck/patio and remove untidy garden furniture or toys.
- DIY and painting – a fresh coat of emulsion to remove any marks goes a long way to present the property at its best. Neutral palettes have the widest appeal, and completing DIY projects shows that you are taking care of the property.
- Clean up – vacuum everywhere, wash the windows and clean the kitchen and bathroom. Make the effort for every viewing; it will be worth it.
- Highlight efficiency – With buyers increasingly focused on running costs, be sure to mention any energy-saving features your home has, such as a modern boiler, double glazing, or loft insulation. This can make a real difference to its appeal.
Value your home and budget for the sale
Before you do anything else, get a clear idea of what your home is worth. Online valuation tools can provide a starting point, but it's also vital to research what similar local properties are selling for. Compare like-for-like in terms of size, condition, and location.
Next, get at least three local estate agents to provide valuations. From January 2025, official guidance from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) mandates that valuers must consider a property's energy efficiency and EPC rating in their assessments, so be prepared to discuss this.
When using our Help to Sell scheme, we work with independent property experts who appoint two local agents to ensure you achieve the best possible price.
You'll also need to budget for the costs associated with selling. Key fees to plan for in 2025 include:
- Estate agent fees: For a sole agency agreement, this typically ranges from 1.0% to 1.8% of the final sale price, including VAT. If you use Redrow's Help to Sell, we can contribute towards these fees.
- Conveyancing fees: Solicitor fees for selling a freehold home typically fall between £500 and £1,500, excluding disbursements.
- Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): If your home doesn't have a valid EPC (less than 10 years old), you'll need a new one. This typically costs between £60 and £120.
- Moving costs: Don't forget to budget for removals and any mortgage arrangement fees for your new home. It's important to choose the right mortgage for you.
Navigating the legal process
Once you accept an offer, the legal process begins. A key document you must have is a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). This is a legal requirement and provides buyers with information on your home's energy use and typical costs.
It's important to be realistic about timescales. In 2025, the average time from instructing a solicitor to completing the sale is between 160 and 205 days. However, processes are becoming more streamlined. HM Land Registry is rolling out digital initiatives, with a target to automate up to 70% of register updates by March 2025. The increasing acceptance of secure electronic signatures is also helping to speed things up.
Have all your paperwork ready to go, including any warranties, guarantees, and certificates for work done on the property (e.g., FENSA for windows), as this will help your solicitor and prevent delays.
The financial advantage of an energy-efficient move
Improving your home's energy efficiency before a sale can be a smart investment. Homes with an EPC rating of A or B can command a sale-price premium of between 1.7% and 3.4% compared to a similar D-rated property. If you're considering upgrades, government incentives like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme offer grants of up to £7,500 towards a new heat pump.
This trend also extends to financing your next move. The 'Green Mortgage' market is growing, with lenders like NatWest and Barclays offering reduced interest rates or cashback for buyers of energy-efficient homes with high EPC ratings.
Of course, the simplest way to benefit is to buy a new Redrow home. With energy efficiency built in, you not only enjoy lower running costs from day one but also have an asset that is perfectly aligned with the future of the property market, without the cost and hassle of retrofitting an older house.
Selling Your home with Redrow's support
To make your move as smooth as possible, we offer two key initiatives for existing homeowners.
Help to Sell
With Help to Sell, we'll help you sell your current home, making your move into a new Redrow property simple and stress-free. We'll arrange valuations, appoint an estate agent on your behalf, and we can even contribute to your fees. It's all designed to achieve a quick, efficient sale so you can secure the home of your dreams.
Part Exchange
If you want to avoid the uncertainty of a property chain, our Part Exchange scheme could be the perfect solution. If you qualify, we could buy your existing home, acting as a cash buyer and giving you the freedom to move into your new Redrow home as soon as it's ready. We'll arrange independent valuations and agree a fair price with you, taking the stress out of selling.
For help and further information on how to sell your home, browse our other guides for homebuyers or speak to the team at your chosen development.
To the best of Redrow's knowledge, everything in this guide is true at the time of writing. All descriptions, images and plans are illustrations, examples and/or approximations only, and some processes listed may differ when buying a Redrow home. Please speak with the sales team at your chosen development for more details. Redrow does not accept any liability or responsibility, contractual or otherwise, for any reliance on the information contained within the guide.
What to know when buying with Redrow
- Our Help to Sell offering makes moving into your new Redrow home easier than ever - we’ll assist in the process of getting your existing property on the market, and be with you every step of the way.
- Another option for existing homeowners is our Part Exchange incentive - swap your existing older property for part of the value of your dream Redrow new home!